Updating my life

It's been since the first of the year since I last blogged. I've been bogged down in obsessing about teaching--remedial English and speech at a local technical college. I also tutor in the learning center. Sometimes it's the most frustrating job in the world. It takes a lot of time. Have you ever tried to grade essays? It is paid poorly, especially when grading time is figured into the equation. But I love it. I like working with students, although it is frustrating to me that they have missed so much of the foundational work--basic grammar skills--to be able to successfully write essays. It's rarely that my students can't think. Many of my remedial students come to me with full-blown writing phobias and do have trouble translating their thoughts into written form. I work really hard on getting them over that problem. It's the same with speech class. It's true that many people have phobias about public speaking. And it's hard to work with 25 students for only 10 weeks. They are barely out of the dead-beginner stage when the quarter is over and just don't have enough time to really get good at speaking in front of others. So, the job is frustrating, and time consuming, and I don't know what to do, since I really do feel as though I am contributing something to the world. And except for the poverty level wages, I'd probably be very happy doing what I'm doing.